Female-headed households and female-maintained families: are they worth targeting to reduce poverty in developing countries?
Buvinic, M.; Gupta, G.R.
Economic Development and Cultural Change 45(2): 259-280
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0013-0079 DOI: 10.2307/1154535Document Number: 313206
The paper focuses on the theory that targeting public and private sector programmes on female headed households in developing countries is a more effective way of alleviating poverty and social disadvantage. First discussed are the issues related to the definition and measurement of female hardship and poverty. Secondly, potential costs and benefits of targeting female headships and review the experience of Chile, a country who has targeted female headship though government intervention. Analysis of project experience from Chile is used in conjunction with empirical evidence to consider the desirability and efficiency of targeting female headship to reduce poverty in developing countries. It is concluded that experience shows that targeting female headship can be an efficient way of reaching the poor and it reinforces the association between female headship and poverty. However female headship is not heterogeneous, and not all female heads are poor and therefore the decision to target should be preceded by an analysis of indicators related to the nature, rise and vulnerability to poverty of female heads.